Article excerpt

Concerned that the credibility of its law enforcement agencies
has been undermined, the Treasury Department will conduct its own
investigation into an all-white law enforcement gathering featuring
racist T-shirts and slogans.

Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin said Monday, "Our purpose is to
get to the truth, period." The department will take whatever action
is appropriate after the four-month investigation is concluded, he
said.

But it was unclear whether any federal agents who may have
attended the gathering can be punished if they did so on their own
time without using any government resources.

According to news reports, a former agent of Treasury's Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms helped coordinate the gathering,
known as the "Good Ol' Boys Roundup." Described as a weekend of
relaxation for police officers, it was held May 18-20 in Polk
County, Tenn.

The weekend was said to include the sale of T-shirts with the
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s face behind a target, O.J.
Simpson in a hangman's noose and white police officers with a black
man sprawled across the hood of their car under the words "Boyz on
the Hood."

The Senate Judiciary Committee already has plans to look into
the incident. And the Justice Department's inspector general will
determine whether any employees of the department or its agencies
participated in the picnic.

Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., said Monday that he and other
members of the Congressional Black Caucus wanted assurances the
investigations would be thorough and impartial. …